Feb. 1, 2008 Sasebo - Mr. Roy Kamphausen of the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) exchanged views on the military rise of China with local opinion leaders from Sasebo and Nagasaki at a dinner hosted by U.S. Consulate Fukuoka. With Sasebo playing host to an important U.S. Navy base and Nagasaki the site of frequent visits by U.S. ships, the discussion provided a useful way to reiterate the rationale for the U.S.-Japan security alliance and the important role U.S. Forces Japan play in the defense of Japan.

The dinner served to draw out some local misperceptions about the U.S presence here, and helped post underscore how the U.S. and Japan can work together to ensure that China's rise takes place in such a way as to enhance U.S. and Japanese interests rather than threaten them.